Kelsey MacDonald and Gemma Dryburgh are both well on course for a Ladies European Tour card after the Scottish duo cemented their places in the top-10 during the penultimate round of the Lalla Aicha Qualifying School final in Morocco.
MacDonald, the former Scottish Women’s Amateur champion from Nairn who lost her full playing rights on the main circuit at the end of last season, set herself up for an immediate return to the top table with a steady one-under 71 for an 11-under 277 to sit in sixth place heading into the fifth and final round.
Aberdonian Dryburgh, a graduate of the University of Tulane in New Orleans, also posted a 71 as her bid to earn a Ladies European Tour card at the first time of asking edged towards a successful conclusion.
Dryburgh had found herself slipping down the field after stumbling to the turn in three-over. But the Scot rallied on the run in and conjured a purposeful run of four successive birdies from the 11th which repaired some of the earlier damage and left her with a 72-hole aggregate of 280. Dryburgh was sitting in ninth place behind qualifying pacesetter, Karolin Lampert of Germany, who leads with a 22-under 266. Indian amateur Aditi Ashok, who underlined her potential earlier this year by winning the prestigious St Rule Trophy at St Andrews, lurks just a shot behind on 267 while third place Daisy Nielsen is a further seven shots adrift of the leading duo.
The leading 30 players after the final round will earn a step up to the main European Tour but those hopes are already over for Scottish trio Michele Thomson, Alyson McKechin and Jane Turner as they all missed the fourth round cut. Thomson, the former Curtis Cup player, fell two shots shy of the mark on 292 while McKechin, a forrmer Scottish Women’s champion sagged to a 76 for 294. Turner also had a 76 for her 299 tally.
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